2 years ago, I was in the hotel we were staying at in Rome, walking around while eating an apple. While walking I could sense God’s amazing presence, so I asked Him to speak to me.

All of a sudden this thought popped in my head, "What if this apple you are holding in your hand is forbidden? What if God said 'Don't eat it!'" What would my response be?

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. Genesis 3:6 ASV

I've said before what I'm sure a lot of people have - "If I were Adam, I would not have eaten that forbidden apple!" But what if the apple you are holding in your hand right now is forbidden?

We talk bad about Adam eating the forbidden apple in the garden, yet we do the same thing. Figuratively speaking, let’s relate our temptations to the forbidden apple.God says not to lust, yet so many of us "hold in our hands" (and by this I mean we hold these things in our minds/within us) pornography.God says not to put any other god (ruling force over us) before Him, yet I find myself constantly putting my wants and schedules ahead of Him. I often put my friends, desires, and sins before God.Maybe your “apple”, temptation, is your boyfriend or girlfriend.Getting drunk. Doing drugs. Cheating on a test. Envying your friends.

What apples have you been holding in your hands, knowing that they are forbidden by God, yet still willing to eat? How are you going to throw those apples away? Start by recognizing they are not honoring to the God who saved us. When I grab the apple, I insult the God I love. Steps to throwing away apples: 1) Take it to God - Ask for forgiveness and healing. We need to ask God that He helps us overcome the temptations in our lives. 2) Take apple inventory - Recognize the areas of temptation in your life. The areas where you tend to step into sin.

3) Create space - Create space between yourself and your inventory of temptations. If it’s pornography, download this program and set up accountability with trustworthy family and friends. If it’s getting drunk, don’t go to parties. Whatever your temptation is, create space between yourself and it.What we must understand is that if we truly want to honor God, we must create space between us and the things that pull us away from Him.

Because God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that if we believe in Him we shall not perish, but have eternal life. He gave His Son so we could be close to Him! Let’s rid ourselves of “apples” that pull us back away from Him. If you would like to find out more about how you can begin a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, please leave a comment below or contact me through the “Contact Us” tab above!